Improvement in spoke-machines



3 Shee'cs--Sheetl A. MGNEILE.

` Spoke-Machines. No.142,034. PatentedAugustmJsvs.

i els with it.

ALEXANDER MCNEILE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPOKE-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,031L`dated August 19, 1873; application tiled July 2, 1873.

To all` whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER McNnILE, of John street, Pentonville Road, London, in

`the county of Middlesex, England, wheelwright and engineer, have invented certain Improvements in Spoke-Machines, of which the following is a specification:

My invention of improved machinery for cutting and shaping wood relates to an improved arrangement of machinery whereby wood can be cut to various irregular shapes, according to pattern. The invention is applicable for cutting wood for various purposes, but more particularly for making the spokes of wheels; also, tool-handles and similar or analogous articles of irregular shape. I will, therefore, proceed to explain the essential features of my improved machinery as adapted for cutting wheel-spokes. Whatever may be the form ofthe spoke or other article intended to be made, a pattern (by preference, a metal one) of suitable form must be prepared. This pattern, together with the piece of wood to be operated upon, is mounted in a traveling frame, which works in guides in the machine. This frame is arranged, by preference, in a horizontal position for the manufacture of wheelspokes and suchV like articles. The cutters (of which there are four) for making a spoke are xed on verticalspindles mounted in bearin gs in a frame which is capable of moving horizontally or swinging on vertical pivots. The cutterspindles are rotated rapidly, and also havea free vertical motion in their bearings within certain limits. The sharp cuttin g-ed ges of the cutters must, of course, be ground to theproper shape, according to the nature of the article to be produced, and are set at the proper distance, and are properly adjusted, in the manner hereafter explained. The wood to be operated upon is sawed to the desired dimensions, and, in the case of spokes, the end tenons are cut thereon in the usual manner. The piece of wood so prepared is mounted in adjustable jaws in the traveling frame, immediately above the metal pattern, which trav- Four cutters are employed-two to cut the top side of the spoke, (one on each side,) and two to cut the bottom side, one of these lower cutters beingv also placed oneach side of the wood to be operated upon-and they are mounted in frames which are capable of swinging on vertical pivots, as already mentioned. The lower ends of the cutter-spindles rest on the upper end of other spindles, to which are adapted anti-friction rollers, which I call pattern-rollers, as they run on or against the face of the pattern. The under spindle of each cutter carries one of these pattern-rollers, so that, as there are four spindlecutters required to cut a spoke, there are four patternrollers to run on or against the pattern. Additional pattern-rollers are used for the purpose of etfecting the rise and fall of the cutters at certain parts of the operation. When two of these rollers are employed for each cutter-spindle, as shown in the drawing, one of them runs on the top of the pattern, so as to follow all the vertical inequalities, while the other bears against the side. ers being connected with the lower spindle, which supports the cutter-spindle, the latter will be made to rise or fall and move in or out, according to the form of the pattern. The pattern-rollers of the other spindles run against the under side of the pattern, so as to follow all the irregularities thereof just the same as the pattern-rollers of the upper cutter-spindles. The metal pattern and the piece ot' wood to be operated uponare mounted in a frame to which a slow progessive motion is given, so as to carry the' wood forward up to the cutters, and, as the pattern travels forward against the pattern-rollers, the cutters are raised vertically or moved laterally, according to the shape of the pattern, and, in so doing, will move the cutters either laterally or will lift the cutter-spindles vertically in their bearings.` By this means spokes, tool-handles, and other articles of irregular shape may be made with great rapidity and facility, and may be finished clean, and will require no hand-labor to complete them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l, Sheet I, is a side elevation of a machine constructed according to my invention for cutting wheel-spokes, some of the parts being cut away in order that those parts behind them may be more clearly seen. Fig. 2, Sheet II, is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 3'is a vertical section of the same taken in the line l 2 of Fig. 2, looking toward the right.

These two roll- Fig. 4 is a horizontal section or sectional plan view ofthe machine; and Fig. 5 is an elevation of the cutters and their appendages, together with the pattern and piece of wood to be operated upon detached from the machine.

The standards or frame-work of the machine are seen at a a a, and carry brackets b b b to receive the swinging arm b', Fig. 2, of the swinging frame bit, in which are the bearings for carrying the vertical spindles c1 c1. The cutters c c are adjusted against the flatten ed sides of the spindles, and are fixed thereon by means of jam-nuts c2. Rotary motion is communicated to the cutter-spindles c1 by means of the friction-gear d d, and this latter is actuated by driving-bands passed round the pulleys c c on the short vertical shafts c c. The piece of wood f to be operated upon is secured in clamps f' f connected with the standard of the sliding bar gf, which is capable of being moved along a fixed double V-guide, g. This sliding bar g also carries the pattern h, against which the pattern-rollers z' t' of both pairs of cutter-spindles bear.

It will be seen that each set of cutters is provided with two sets of pattern-rollers, i and i i. One set ofpattern-rollers, t" i', Figs. l, 3, and 5, are placed on edge and turn vertically against either the upper or under side of the pattern, and thereby impart an upward or downward motion to the cutters whenever they pass over or travel against vertical inequalities, while the other sets of pattern-rollers bear against the edges of the pattern, and thus serve to carry back the cutters in a horizontal direction by causing the whole of the cutter-frame bt to swing in its bearings. The pattern-rollers t and t" are connected with distinct vertical shafts or spindles it, on the upper end of which rests the lower end of the respective cutter-spindles c1, which, being eapable of vertical motion in its bearings, will be lifted whenever the pattern-roller shaft is caused to rise by the vertical pattern-rollers passing over a rise iu the pattern 7L. This will be best understood by referring to Fig. 5, which represents the four sets of cutters and their pattern-rollers with their appendages, together with the wooden spoke and pattern. The two sets of cutters at the left-hand end of the Fig. 5, under the letter A, are intended to form the upper half of the spoke, while the other two sets of cutters, under the letter B, are forming the under half of the spoke. Y

It will be seen that the vertical patternrollers t" i', adapted to the pair of spindles A, run on, or, rather, move over, the top of the pattern 7L as the latter travels slowly along, while the pattern-rollers ofthe spindles B run against the under side of the pattern. The

horizontal pattern-rollers it, which run against the edge ot' the pattern, as seen best in the sectional plan view, Fig. 4, are mounted in small swivelin g frames, which turn on vertical pivots, so that they may be better able to follow the irregularities or sinuosities of the pattern, as shown at Fig. 4.

In order to admit of the same pattern being used for cutting spokes of different thicknesses, but of the same pattern, the `patternroller spindle of each set is mounted in a supplementary frame, j, Fig. 3, which is capable ot` sliding in guides in the swinging frame bit, and can be adjusted and fixed in position by means of the adjusting-screw jf, which passes through a female screw tapped in the swinging frame bit, which carries the cutterspindles.

It will now be understood that, by turning the adjusting-screw, the horizontal patternrollers i will be forced against the stationary pattern 71 and, therefore, the frame bi, with the cutters c, will be drawn back from the central line of the spoke f and, if this adjustment be done on both sides, the spoke will be made of an increased thickness, equal to the increased distance which the two sets of cutters are drawn back from their line of work.

I find in practice that the weight of the cutter-spindle c1 is sufficient of itself to keep it down in contact with the upper end of the pattern-roller spindle; but, in order to keep the pattern-rollers t' of the under cutters up against the under side of the pattern h, as shown at Fig. 3, a strong coiled spring in the boXj* is adapted to the spindle i* for the purpose of pressing it upward and thereby keeping the under cutters up to their work.

Fig. 6, Sheet III, represents a wheel-spoke drawn on an enlarged scalc-thatis, twice thc size of that shown in the other figures.

Figs. 7, 8, and 9 represent sections of a spoke with its cutters drawn full size, and showing the peculiar manner in which the cutters separate in the wood. Fig. 7 is a section of the spokes taken at the line l 2 of Fig. 6, and representin g the cutters in the position they would assume in commencing the cut on the rectangular piece of wood. In other words, when the cutters are in this position it will be only their straight portion which will be operating. Fig. 8 is a section of the spoke taken at the line 3 4 of Fig. 6, and represents the cutters as very considerably overlapping each other-that is, one set of cutters has been raised and the other lowered, so as to bring the curved part of the cutters into operation, a portion ofthe side of the spoke being parallel. Fig. 9 is another section of the spoke, but taken at the line 5 6 of Fig. 6, and also showing the altered position of the cutters.

Thus it will be seen that varying sections are cut with the same cutters merely by raising or lowering them. In this instance nearly the whole of the curved portion of the cutters is in work, and the cutters for the opposite side of the spoke have been moved laterally, so as to thicken the spoke.

From this it will be understood that the wood is cut by means, first, of a knife with a cutting'- edge shaped in a curve of regular or irregular form, or partially curved and partially straight, as may be required 5 secondly, by giving such knife while revolving a motion in two diii'erent direct-ions, at the same or different times, by the action of, thirdly, a pattern so formed as to cause the knife to recede or advance or remain stationary in one direction, while the same ,or varying portions of the knife are brought in contact with the wood by motion in a different direction, which motion is given by the traveling pattern, which carries with it the wood to be out. y l

The variations in position required to be given to the cutting-tool at different parts of the cutting operation are illustrated by the diagram in Sheet III.

Let a. b c cl, Fig. I3, be the form of the cutting-edge of the knife. Let a f o h be the two directions in which motion is to be given. It is evident that if the knife advances toward t' in the direction c h-that is, horizontallythe point of intersection of the curve a b c d (or cutting-edge of the knife) with the line t f will gradually approach c h-that is4 to. say, such point will descend. Hence, in order to cut a piece of wood at one point as thick as c t and at another point thinner than c t', but with a uniform depth, c t', the knife must gradually rise, so as always to keep the point of intersection of the cutting-edge a b c at the same point a; and so, also, to change the form of section from a b c to b c d, and thus preserving the point of intersection at a', the knife must gradually rise as it advances.

To cut-.a piece of wood, first as 7c u m, Fig. 14, secondly as 7o o m', Fig.15, thirdly as k p m", Fig. 16, (where 7c l remains uniform, but the section as well as the width m l varies,)it will be necessary to make a pattern which, in the direction c h,`Fig. 1, shall represent the thickness at each point, and at each point, also, shall, in the direction ef, Fig. 13, represent the amount the knife must be raised to produce the required section in thewood. The pattern then becomes as in Figs. 17 and 18.

It' the pattern be any given thickness (r, Fig. 1 8) at m 1,'(Fig. 17,) it must be so much thicker (s) at m Z as shall'rase the knife so that the curve shall still intersect af, Fig. 13, at a', or, in Figs. 14, 15, m n k becomes m o 7c, and soon to fm l, Fig. 17.

If it be desired to change from the curve to the latpart of the knife it is only necessary to cause the knife to rise sufficiently to present the straight part of its face to the wood. To set this out let A B, Fig. 19, represent the height to be preserved in one direction, B G the initial thickness, and C D the terminal thickness in another direction, Draw E D parallel to A B and E F parallel to C B. Then, while the knife is advancing the amount of the difference of C Band C D,which is DB, it must rise the amount of F A. VThis is to maintain a uniform depth of section, but any other proportions may, of course, be given to the pattern.

' Figs. 10,11, and 12, Sheet III, are elevations representing a lconvenient mode of adjusting the cutters to their work.

In Fig. .10 the small standard k has a foot,

k', which fits into the place for the pattern h, in Sheets I and Il. In this standard is a rising-and-t'alling table, l, which may be fixed at any point by a set-screw, as shown. On the top of this table l is a sliding piece, m, which may be moved in or out, and fixed by a set-screw above at any desired point. On the table l is a fixed point, a, one edge of which coincides with the central line of the pattern h below. Now, supposing it be desired to make a spoke two inches thick, the workman will have to push out the slide m until it projects exactly one inch, or half the thickness of the spoke, beyond the point n; then he must bring up the pattern-rollers t against the foot lo of the standard k,- then, by means of the adjusting screw j', Fig. 3, he will move the swinging frame bit in or out until the cutting-edge of the cutter c comes up to the end of the slide m. The same operation is repeated for all four cutting-spindles so far as regards the lateral adjustment, but all the cutters also require a vertical adjustment of the same kind. The apparatus for vertical adjustment is shown at Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. 11 is for adjusting the under cutters, and Fig. 12 for adjusting the upper cutters. In these instances the table l, to receive the slide m, is mounted on a stem, and is either adjustable thereon or the stem is itself adjustable. In Fig. 12, when the table lis at its highest point, the under side of the point a is coincident or level with the longitudinal axis or centralvline of the spoke. If, therefore, it be required to make a spoke, say, three inches deep, it will onlyrbe necessary to measure one and a half inch from the top of the stem, and then to lower the table l to this point, and also raise the table and slide m of Fig. 12 to a similar amount, and then we have the requisite three inches deep. The curved cutting-edges of the cutter c c must then be raised and lowered, respectively, to the adjusted points of the tables, and then they will be in the position for cutting the spoke of the required form and dimensions.

Having now described my invention of im proved machinery for cutting or shaping wood, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into eifect, I claim as my invention- 1. The 'swingingfranies b* bt, with the spindles c1, provided with cutters c c, having edges partly straight and partly curved, as shown, in combination with the pattern-rollers ii', as and for the purposes herein set forth, so that by causing the said pattern-rollers to bear against a traveling pattern, It, the corresponding cutters c c, while in rapid rotation, may be raised, lowered, or otherwise acted upon independently, and a compound motion im parted to them, in order to cause them to cut away the wood to the desired shape, as above described.

2. The arrangement, substantially as herein described, of the rotary cutters c c, the pattern-rollers i i, their spindles if, and the travelin'g pattern h, whose vfigure in one direction is that of a horizontal section of the forni to be produced, and in the other is composed of such gradients as correspond to the varying sections of that forni, whereby the pattern-rollers are caused to so act as to cause the-cutters to present different portions of their cuttingedges et different points or stages of the cutting operation, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. Arranging in one and the same machine it series or pairs of vertically-rotating cutters of irregular shape, and mounted in swinging frames, and provided with patternerollers, as and for the purpose herein set forth, in combination with a movable pattern capable of traveling longitudinally to and fr0 in the maitn esses:

J. B. WYNN,

24; Rog/LZ Exchange, London., H. K. WHITE,

66 Chancery Lcmc, Loudon.. 

